book recommendations

The King’s Cursebreaker Book Review

The King’s Cursebreaker Book Review

bookishy

Title: The King’s Cursebreaker (The Vossen Sisters Saga #2)

Author: Piper Knight

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads link

synopsis

Two sisters. Two worlds. Two deadly bargains.

Taken by the Winter King…

To save her sister, newly-witch Elizabeth Vossen makes a deal with the ruthless, ice-cold Unseelie King to break his wintry curse. The moment his freezing fingers wrap around her wrist, she’s whisked to the faerie realm – and to her dismay, her magic goes dry.

In a terrifying kingdom of wicked tricksters, Beth must regain her powers with the Winter King Alistair, himself – the most wicked of them all. But there’s more to this brutal, cold-hearted faerie than meets the eye, and he’s as deeply intoxicating as he is arrogant.

But time is running out. As the full moon draws near, the curse threatens to sink its cold claws and never let go. And in this wicked world of the fae where danger lurks around every corner, the king is her only chance of returning home – or staying alive.

Blackmail is a buzzkill…

Bell Vossen didn’t think her life could get more complicated after falling in love with a warrior angel and gaining sinister shadow magic from her evil ancestor. But then the cold-blooded Silver Witch Queen becomes her boss.

The bargain? Bring down one of the most powerful supernatural groups in the world, lest Bell and Braxiel’s sinful secret be revealed. But when Bell is attacked by a black-eyed wolf shifter with mysterious powers that can take down a divine angel with ease, not only is their mission at stake – but the entire supernatural world as they know it.

Bell and Brax must find out how to defeat these lethal, cutthroat creatures – while fighting against their fiery, forbidden desire before it burns everything in its place. But when did Bell ever play by the rules?

Wickedly sharp and even sexier than the last, this spellbinding new adult fantasy & paranormal romance is the seductive second book in the action-packed, fast-paced Vossen Sisters Saga.

Book Review

The King’s Cursebreaker is the continuation of the Accidental Kingslayer, and I’m actually glad we got a continuation of Bell and Braxiel’s story and not just Beth and Alistair’s story. I have to admit that I found Bell and Braxiel’s story more interesting than Beth and Alistair’s, not just because of the romance but also because of the overall plot.

Bell and Braxiel have one of the best partners-in-crime dynamics, and I just love my angles okay (I’m still voting for more Yaz and his himbo energy). Their part of the book was full of plot twists, and new turns, and I just loved their adventures (especially the London part of it).

Therefore, I found myself a bit bored during Beth’s part of the story. I didn’t think her chemistry with Alistair was half as good as Bell’s with Braxiel. The curse-breaking part could have had a better ending, one that made more sense to me (no spoilers). I find myself excited for the next book solely because of Bell, Braxiel and the angels. To be honest, I have no interest in the continuation of Beth’s story or getting to know Brooke’s.

However, I do recommend reading The King’s Cursebreaker since it’s a really fun, fast-paced read. I think I read it in two days because it’s really well-written. And the spicy scenes were AMAZING. So I would definitely give the King’s Cursebreaker a go, and (if you haven’t yet) DEFINITELY read the Accidental Kingslayer.

An eARC was sent to me by the author in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much!

‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ Brigid Kemmerer

bookishy

review

I had such great expectations reaching for ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ mostly because of everyone’s great reviews, and I was really disappointed. It was a really twisted retelling of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ – definitely one involving more blood. The only thing resembling the Disney fairy-tale was the presence of a prince, a monster and a curse. There weren’t any talking clocks or candlesticks, there wasn’t a smart or kind princess and there were too many people – the whole point of the Beast was his loneliness and his isolation from the world. The entire love story was really non-existent, and the curse-breaking was so accidental I almost have no idea how it happened. Additionally, the last character was such a plot twist – it was really unlikely and forced. It’s obvious that the author had a second book in mind, but in my opinion, she should’ve stuck to one. Additionally, the world-building was a little bit unclear to me. What was positive about ‘The Curse So Dark and Lonely’ was the writing – despite its faults, the book was easy to read. I managed to read it in two sittings, even though the characters and the plot annoyed me.

I swear, all the main characters are written strictly to annoy the hell out of me. Harper is such an annoying, non-decision and reckless character, and I couldn’t stand her throughout the book. The continuity of her getting everyone in trouble just because she had to have it her way made me want to properly shake her (or slap her). Grey was a great character, always staying in his role as a Commander, but I couldn’t help but think that he was too stiff? After all that time with Rhen, he was still the same strict soldier – that’s a bit hard to believe. Rhen is a typical, spoilt prince, but it’s clear he is overwhelmed with the choices he made before. While reading the story from Rhen’s point of view, I also felt like his regret was forced – there were too many thoughts regarding his past to make it believable. Despite his dissimilarity to the original Beast, he was probably the best part of this book – the most intriguing one, always calculating and thinking ahead. I feel like I should talk about the enchantress, Lilith, who was a villain in this story. But she was evil to the bone, without any backstory, but as we all know the best villains should have a good backstory. The characters in ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ were meant to be complexed and unorthodox, but they ended up being annoying and every single of their traits appeared to be enforced and unnatural.

The book was either boring or really rushed, and the plot repeated the same schemes all the time – Harper runs, Rhen and Grey follow her, save her and help the people of Emberfall. Rhen fell in love with Harper really quickly – too quickly, considering that the only thing that fascinated him about Harper was her constant rebellion and resistance. I wouldn’t recommend ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ unless you really like twisted fairytales and the main characters don’t bother you.

synopsis

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin. (via goodreads.com)

March wrap-up

bookishy

‘Anne of the Green Gables’ L.M. Montgomery
★★★★★

I have so much fondness for this book since it was the book that got me into reading when I was little. I remember having to read the entire series in one weekend because I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen. Going back to this book, it’s still as amazing as it was when I was twelve. And, quite frankly, every book that manages to make me cry deserves five stars from me.

‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ Jenny Han
★★★★

That book was such a fun read! I love both the book, and the movie – I kind of like how different they are. I like the difference in the details, though after seeing the movie I was a bit disappointed with the ending. Now I can’t wait to read the rest of the series, but it seems that I will have to wait a while for it. Also, now I’m in love with Peter Kavinsky, and that’s a real problem.

‘Anne of Avonlea’ L.M. Montgomery
★★★★

As always, the second book wasn’t as good as the first one. For me, this one was more boring than ‘Anne of the Green Gables’. I think I remembered there being more Gilbert and Anne relationship, but I wasn’t disappointed by how their friendship developed throughout the book.

‘Esme’s Wish’ Elizabeth Foster
★★★

This book is perfect for young kids who are just starting their journey with fantasy – it has a different world, dragons, and magic. For me, it was action-lacking and boring. I think I’m too old for this book – I especially got angry at Esme (who is the main character) at the beginning, when she was just being a problematic kid.

‘Cristiano and Leo: The Race to Become the Greatest Football Player of All Time’ Jimmy Burns
★★★★

The first part of the book bored me – I was really struggling to continue it, but I have read enough biographies to know how difficult it is to write them. The second half of the book captured me completely, hence the four stars. In the Jimmy Burns made me curious what was going to happen next, even though I knew was going to happen. I recommend this book for anyone who loves football.

‘Sea Witch’ Sarah Henning
★★★

I’m torn between giving this book 3 and 4 stars. It didn’t capture my heart, but it was nice to read – a retelling of the little mermaid. It was a decent book, but I was expecting something different – like for example less teenage drama between two princes fighting for a girl. But somehow ‘Sea Witch’ made me want more – I wanted to know what happens next, and that’s really the point of a good book.

‘The King’s Man’ Nora Sakavic
★★★★★

That book honestly broke my heart, like all of the books in ‘All For the Game’ series. The ending made me want to cry because Andrew and Neil definitely didn’t deserve that. As I reread this, I realised that writing is not as good as I thought it was. Nonetheless, it’s a five-star read for me because any book that makes me wanna cry and smile at the same time is an incredible piece of literature.

‘Stalking Jack the Ripper’ Kerri Maniscalo
★★★★

I liked this book a lot, though I didn’t like the slow pace of solving the murder. What I liked the most was the complexity of the characters – Audrey Rose who was both girly and brilliant, Thomas Cresswell who probably the most confusing character I have ever read, and finally Jack the Ripper, but I’m not going to say anything about him because I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone.

‘The Avengers: The Ultimate Guide to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’  Scott Beatty, Alan Cowsill, Alastair Dougall
★★

I had no idea that superheroes could be as boring as they were in this book. There were too many details, too many characters for a reader to keep up with them. I wanted to find out more about the Avengers, but after reading this book I’m just more confused. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are an ultimate fan who has already read the comics.

‘A Discovery of the Witches’ Deborah Harkness
★★★★

Technically, this book deserves 4,5 stars from me. I loved it so much, but in the end, there were parts when I was like ‘What? Why?’. But the writing was really, really good – it was both descriptive, and interesting. I even liked Diana, and Matthew, which is surprising because I almost never like the main character. I recommend both the book and the tv show.

‘Fire and Blood – part 2’ George Martin
★★

In Poland, this book was divided into two, which really annoyed me. In my opinion, the second part of ‘Fire and Blood’ was much more boring than the first part. I thought that the part about Dance of Dragons would be interesting, but it really wasn’t. Overall, I’m really disappointed with both ‘Fire and Blood’ books.

January wrap-up

bookishy

Just a short post, because January was a busy month for me, and so is the beginning of the February. I didn’t read a lot this month, but my definite favourite I discovered this month was ‘All for the Game’ series by Nora Sakavic. I absolutely fell in love with this series, and I have a feeling you are going to hear much more about it from me.

‘The Foxhole Court’ Nora Sakavic
★★★★★

Oh. My. God. This book (this series) broke my heart like no other book before it (maybe ‘Lost Boy’ by Christina Henry can compete, but only maybe). I have been waiting to read a good gang story since ‘Six of Crows’, and I got one. ‘The Foxhole Court’ is incredible – the characters are so amazing, unpredictable, and so twisted that you have no choice but to love them. I think I’m going to do a full review on this series when I have time because I feel like I could talk about it forever.

‘Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead’ Rick Riordan
★★★

I am so disappointed with this series, and even more with this final book of ‘Magnus Chase’ trilogy. I adore Rick Riordan and his writing, but this one felt a bit too forced when it comes to funniness, and the amount of diversity felt a bit overwhelming. This series just did not click for me, even though I still laughed at the funnier parts. My favourite character was Mangus’ sword, and I think it says a lot about this book.

‘The Wicked King’ Holly Black
★★★★

It did not click for me the way ‘The Cruel Prince’ did. I don’t think I can explain it, but I feel like all the action was packed in the last two chapters. What I loved about this book though, was Cardan, and his character development – he finally became a king – and took the matters into his own hands. Jude was a bit annoying in this one, but I blame it on her family – it must be difficult to rule a country without being able to trust someone. AND THAT ENDING. No spoilers, but holy cow.

‘The King’s Men’ Nora Sakavic
★★★★★

Can I marry this series, please? I swear I will protect all the characters, even though they would probably kill me for even suggesting this. I have so many feelings regarding this series – I adore Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten, Nicky is such a cinnamon roll, and the other Foxes are all incredible. Allison is a freakin’ badass, and Matt is just perfection.

‘The Language of Thorns’ Leigh Bardugo
★★★★

To be honest, I would probably love a book about eating breakfast if it was written by Leigh Bardugo. I loved these short tales, taking place in the Grishaverse universe. I absolutely adore Leigh Bardugo, and the stories were amazing (as I thought they would be).

Most anticipated releases of the 2019

bookishy

If you listen closely, I bet you could hear my wallet screaming in the distance. There are so many amazing books coming out in 2019, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to discover more during the year. But here are the continuations of series’, and some new books by my favourite authors. Let me know which book you are most excited for in 2019!

‘The Wicked King’ Holly Black
release date: January 8th

Number 1 just had to be ‘The Wicked King’ by Holly Black. To be honest, at first I was a bit disappointed by ‘The Cruel Prince’, but I’m not sure what I expected. But the more I think about that book, the more I love it. What I’m most excited for in this sequel, is the chemistry between Cardan and Jude. I saw a few spoilers on Instagram, and I have a feeling their cooperation is going to be full of emotions. I only hope that Cardan is not going to do anything stupid.

‘The King of Scars’ Leigh Bardugo
release date: January 29th, 2019

How can somebody who has read ‘The Grisha Trilogy’ not be anticipating this book?! How? Honestly, tell me your secret, because I feel like I might actually die from wanting to read it! Nikolai is just so dreamy, and cute, and dangerous. Basically, he is many things and I love him so much. I’m so glad he got his own duology and I’m even more glad that Nina Zenik is going to be in it.

‘Evermore’ Sara Holland
release date: December 31st, 2018

I know, technically it’s out in 2018, but I’m going to get my hands on it in 2019 so it counts, okay? Besides, I wanted to mention it, because I freakin’ adore ‘Everless’. I cannot wait to follow Jules in her escape, and I’m curious about what the main villain is going to do next (see, I’m trying to go spoilers free). What is even more exciting, ‘Everless’ is going to be a duology – which means that ‘Evermore’ is going to be full of action.

‘Children of Virtue and Vengeance’ by Tomi Adeyemi
release date: March 5th, 2019

Okay, I might have been skeptical a little bit about ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ until I have read it. I’m totally in love with Zelie’s strong character and her temper (which gets her in trouble so much) and other characters, and the plot. Basically, it was amazing and reading it felt like magic. I cannot wait to see what Tomi Adeyemi has in store for the second part.

‘Ninth House’ by Leigh Bardugo
release date: June 4th, 2019

Let’s be honest, I would read anything by Leigh Bardugo. Not only is this book written by one of my favourite authors ever, but the synopsis is also amazing – a story about a female character with a criminal past who is a freshman at Yale University where she has to observe Yale’s secret societies. Am I the only one with the feeling that I’m gonna love the main character, Alex Stern, as much as I love Kaz and Nikolai?

‘The Tyrant’s Tomb’ by Rick Riordan
release date: 2019

The fourth part of ‘Trials of Apollo’ is coming our way and honestly, I’m so happy – I have loved Rick Riordan’s books for what seems like a forever now. I was so sad when ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ series ended, but luckily Rick Riordan is apparently a book-producing factory so we got a lot of more books from him. ‘Trials of Apollo’ immediately captured my heart, mainly because Apollo is my favorite Greek god, but also because the idea of a god being human in a modern setting is incredible.

‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ Brigid Kemmerer
release date: January 29th, 2019

Honestly, I was going through Goodreads and this title caught my attention. Then I read the review and decided that I need to read this book ASAP. I mean, c’mon, a retelling of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ with a modern setting and a magical world? Count me in, please! Also, I’m just so curious about the details of the curse in this book, because it sounds so different from the original story.

‘Broken Throne’ Victoria Aveyard
release date: May 2019

I’m usually not a big fan of short stories, but I got so excited when Victoria Aveyard announced ‘Broken Throne’ on her Instagram. I cannot wait to read more about Mare, Cal, and Kilorn. I do not know for sure when its action is going to be suited in, but I suspect it will be some kind of continuation of ‘War Storm’. Probably, a collection of stories in a new realm. I certainly hope we will get some Mare and Cal romance – it would be such a disappointment if they didn’t end up together.

‘Into the Crooked Place’ Alexandra Christo
release date: October 2019

After reading (and falling madly in love with) ‘To Kill a Kingdom’, I will read anything written by Alexandra Christo. Even if it was a 300-page conversation between Lira and Elian. I’m serious. But I have read the synopsis of ‘Into the Crooked Place’ and I’m getting a ‘Six of Crows’ kinda vibe which, combined with an author behind it, guarantees my endless love for this book.
‘Into the Crooked Place’ is going to be about four young crooks (get it? ‘Into a Crooked Place’!) who go on a mission to take down their leader after they discover his newest plot. The book also involves magic which I fully support.

‘Two Can Keep s Secret’ Karen M. McManus
release date: January 8th, 2019

I adore ‘One of Us is Lying’ and, while browsing Goodreads, I came upon this new book by Karen McManus and apparently it is going to have a Riverdale vibe. I have a weakness for books which action is set in small-towns – they always have the most outrageous stories, and I live for drama. The title of the book makes me think of TV show ‘Pretty Little Liars’, and whether it’s a PLL or Riverdale vibe, I have a feeling I’m going to love this as I love ‘One of  Us is Lying’.
‘Two Can Keep a Secret’ is about Ellery, who has to move to small Echo Ridge to live with her grandmother. The town has a history of a missing girl and a murder during prom night. Now, somebody promises to make it all happen again. Ellery quickly learns that everybody in Echo Ridge has their secrets, and it’s safer to keep them to yourself.

November wrap-up

bookishy

This month was also a good reading month for me – I have to admit that bookstagram is really motivating me to read more (not to mention all the book recommendations). Both October and November are ‘Harry Potter’ months for me, so I’ve mostly reread the series. I’ve also started rereading ‘Grisha Trilogy’, even though I read it in July. Overall, I liked all the books I’ve read this month so here they are.

‘Shadow and Bone’ Leigh Bardugo
★★★★★

Even though, I have read ‘The Grisha Trilogy’ for the first time this summer, I fell in love with these books. So when it turned out that FierceReads is doing #ShadowandBoneTrilogyReread I just had to join. ‘Shadow and Bone’ was as amazing as it was when I first read it, and I cannot wait for ‘King of Scars’ so I can get more Grisha, Nikolai and more Nina from ‘Six of Crows’.

‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

The continuation of my October ‘Harry Potter’ reread – I did not manage to complete it in one month, but I hope to finish it by the end of the year. I honestly cry every time the Marauders are mentioned, so this one was very teary. BUT I’M NOT ASHAMED OF IT, OKAY? Basically, this part was very emotional, also I’m kind of sad it was the last book where we got Oliver Wood and his Quidditch obsession. In conclusion, ‘Harry Potter’ is my life, Remus Lupin is cinnamon roll that needs to be protected and Sirius Black is perfect.

‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

Let me just tell you, I was not ready for Cedric’s death. I knew it was coming – I mean, I have read this series what feels like a hundred times. But after such a break in reading those books, I cried my eyes out on his death scene. Also, I noticed how much of a cinnamon roll he is. And did I mention getting teary every time Sirius, James or Lily are mentioned? Every. Damn. Time. I’m such a cry baby when it comes to books. Getting away from the subject, I know. Basically, I love ‘Harry Potter’.

‘Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

This book is simultaneously my favourite and my least favourite. It is incredible because of all the jokes and pranks that Fred and George did. But it is horrible because of what Harry had to go through and, because of Sirius’ death. I understand why she killed him, though I don’t think I could ever forgive her for that. Also, this is the book where one starts to realise that Dumbledore wasn’t so great. Well, now I’m off to read the next part. Hopefully, it won’t make me cry so much.

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

This the part that conceived me that I dislike Severus Snape. What I love most about this part is the fact that Draco is shown as a victim of a war, and Ginny is presented as a badass (which she is). I also always liked Dumbledore’s lessons with Harry – it helped me understand Voldemort much better. I always feel weird writing about ‘Harry Potter’, because I feel like I could talk about it forever, and this is just supposed to be some kind of conclusion.

‘What Could Possibly Go Wrong…’ Jeremy Clarkson
★★★★

To be quite honest with you, I don’t give a damn about cars. I know basic brands, and I know whether I think a car is beautiful or not. But I adore Jeremy Clarkson’s books – his humour is incredibly witty, and he probably offends everyone in Great Britain. This book focused mainly on cars, but I still found a few columns I loved. Some fragments made me laugh out loud, and I just had to read them aloud to my parents. Now I need to find a book of his in my house that I haven’t read yet…

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

I managed to finish ‘Harry Potter’ series in two months! (I was supposed to do it in one, but oh well, life happened). It has been so many years, and I still cry every damn time I read this book. Also, I still haven’t forgiven J.K. Rowling for so many deaths, but now as I read it when I’m older, I cannot forgive her for mistreating Slytherins the way she did. Overall, this book is neither my favourite or my least favourite. My favourite parts of this book are the beginning and the ending – especially the fight between Harry and Voldemort. I guess now I’m off to watch the movies…

‘Red Rising’ Pierce Brown
★★★★

Rarely does a book surprise me – usually when I don’t like the beginning, I don’t like the whole book. When I’ve started ‘Red Rising’, I thought it was dull and confusing (I don’t usually like such confusing worlds which are presented in such a confusing way). But after reaching 150 it pulled me in, and I ended up staying up till 3 am to finish this book. My favourite thing about ‘Red Rising’ was the main character, Darrow. He is everything a protagonist should be and now he is my favourite male hero.

‘Sword of Destiny’ Andrzej Sapkowski
★★★★★

Finally, after many years, I proceeded to reading the rest of ‘The Witcher’ series. Can I just say it’s only thanks to my sickness that I’ve read it? So thanks! I like the format of stories, though I’ve never thought I would. Geralt is one of my favourite protagonists, even though he is socially awkward. Jaskier is annoying, but aren’t all bards? And Yennefer is queen, but I cannot wait to finally meet Triss!

‘Blood of Elves’ Andrzej Sapkowski
★★★★★

Let me just tell you that being sick is really helpful in reading books (just sayin’). I love all of the characters – even though Jaskier is still annoying. And Yennefer is a really difficult human being. This is the book where everything starts to be complicated – the plot, the geography and the alliances. I had to be focused all the time in order to be caught up with who is who. But I loved it nonetheless, and I cannot wait to read book four!